Friday, October 9, 2009

How come its hard to find a good all encompassing title for these kinds of posts just full of stuff?

lol. i think that takes the cake for the *random* titles department.

Ok so let's start off with the Feast of Tabernacles which began last Saturday. We spent the afternoon with Heiko + Lori, our great mates + their family too. It was fab :) The theme at their place was 'Times of Refreshing'. As a gift for each family I altered these snow domes which I bought from the chemist. One one side was this verse: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the scriptures have said, streams of living water will flow from within him" - John 7:38. Tabernacles is a time to remember God as our deliverer (He brought His people out of Egypt and they remembered how they dwelt in tablernacles (tents/booths) during that time and how faithful he was to them. Check out LEV 23. It also reminded them that they were pilgrims passing through the wilderness just as we are pilgrims passing through this life on the way to our eternal home with him (john 14:1-4). It is a time to remember that Jesus came to dwell or tabernacle among us (John 1:14) and that is THE best news ever! At Loz's there were some Bible readings, a 'thankful' wall that we all got to post on, some Hebrew dancing and great food + even some non alcoholic wine especially from Israel! The kids really loved it too + enjoyed learning about this very joyous feast.

Here is one side of the snow dome and below it is the other side which had 'Jesus' on it...

All wrapped up ready to take across. I just loved this colour...

A massive down pour here recently...

complete with a hail filled garden...

love these beautiful photos of our girls...

there really is an unspeakable joy that wells us within me when I see my kids loving each other. It's amazing.

Family date night this week was a movie night at home. We tried popcorn (have been off it + all forms of corn for over a year on the failsafe diet but was worth it just this once as a treat!)

Bought these funky plastic popcorn boxes as a new family tradition for our family movie nights. Kids loved em!...Mum + dad visited yesterday + dad brought up carrot seedlings with him for our garden. The most precious thing was that he wanted to plant them with the kids. He's so beautiful my daddy and I'm so thankful for him. Here are pics of them learning together...

I have so many great memories of gardening, planting, playing sport, doing chores WITH my dad (and mmy mum for that matter too). It can be such a challenge to just stop what I think is important and just BE WITH our kids but the more I am with them, the more I want to be with them. It's been a real revelation (probably an obvious one to many people) this year that our kids just want our time. Ok i knew this before but I really have been DOING it this year more and more. Date nights, family games, jumping on the trampoline with them, inviting them to have an impromptu afternoon tea party on the lounge room floor, curling up on the sofa and reading books, colouring in sheets together, baking in the kitchen, rolling out playdoh on the breakfast bar, board games, inventing new family traditions, library visits, card games - in this past week we have done almost all of these things together. I try to be there in the room doing something along side them when they are doing their chores. Just a couple of days ago while Ethi was unpacking the dishwasher and I was next to him at the sink washing pots, we had a deep conversation about how God does not let us down. It's just there in those moments isn't it and sometimes we (I!!!) can get so caught up in *doing* stuff *for* the kids that I forget to *be* with them. It's a moment to moment effort but it really IS so worth the effort now and for the long haul too i reckon :) To us, discipleship is about sharing. It's about winning our kids hearts. It's about loving them and showing them that they are worth the time to be loved. I took Stass today to a cafe for a date arv. She had icecream + I had a milkshake. We took Little Women and finished off reading a chapter. I was so tempted to just go on my own but when she asked to come (and Brett was home with the others obviously), I felt it was a key moment to decide whether I wanted to CHOOSE to be with her or not. I need time on my own too and I'm not saying kids can't learn to play on their own or with each other - of course they need to do that. But how wonderful to take the time to delight in them and they in me too. I treasure their company and am learning so much for them all. I was so blessed as a mummy today to hear Liji encourage Ethi by saying, 'You know it says in the Bible not to fear + that we can trust God'. That is something hey.

Just my thoughts.

What about you? Do you find it easy to put *things* on hold so that you can just be there, available to hang out + input intimately with your kids or is it something you have to make a concious decision about too?

Back to my loving dad taking the time to show and teach Stass how to plant...

Ethan getting his hands dirty with Pupu...

While all this fun planting was going on...there was plenty of this going on too...Poor bubba has a rash at the moment on her face that seems to be coming and going. Not sure what it is but would love for it to just disappear. Please pray with us that it does do just that! She is a little irritable with it but other than that is fine :)

This beautiful boy whose 'engine' was running too high this arv but managed to get through it.

The boys had fun swinging together on the see-saw and took such delight in showing us all. Sometimes the kids do little concerts on the swings (reminds me of how me and my sisters did the same when we were kids)...

And this waratah was peeking up over our neighbour's fence saying hello yesterday. Isn't it glorious, spiders web and all?

5 things I am thankful for today:

1. Brett wanting to throw me a 30th. So sweet even if it doesn't happen - the thought is beautiful.

2. Roast dinner that he cooked. Love you my mate. Love laughing with you in the kitchen :)

3. Our local library

4. God teaching me about being patient and enduring through things DESPITE what the circumstances look like. Trusting in Him no matter what. NO. MATTER. WHAT.

5. Reading about the Prodigal Son together over dinner + discussing what Jesus was saying through this parable.

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear friend Christina. We have been through ALOT together over the past 10 years. I love you so much mate and am so thankful to the Lord for you in my life. For your encouragement, support, faith, laughter, love + generosity...thank you. Love you beautiful girl!

3 comments:

How clever you are converting the snow domes to add your own messages - excellent idea. Loved the family photos, the children will treasure these when they get older. Family is so important and with everything going on in the world, it is the family unit that is so precious.

Love these random posts, they are the best kind. Could Zippi be teething???? Rash and irritable??? or maybe some new food introduced has caused it and upset tummy??? Hope it passes soon. Good to see the photo of the hail that went thru while we were away....everyone was telling me about it and now I can see it - thanks for sharing.